It's Where you Want to Be
by WineOH
Summary: It started out as their little secret. And in those days things were almost perfect. But life isn't always what you want it to be, and bad things happen to good people. Sometimes, the greatest love stories end in heartbreak.
1. But Really, Wasn't it kind of Obvious?

Disclaimer: I obviously own nothing but the idea for this story.

 **But Really, Wasn't it already Kind of Obvious?**

The breeze was warm as it rushed over her face. The salty smell of the ocean filled her nose and she inhaled deeply to savor the memory. Behind her, their bonfire celebration raged on. But she needed a minute to collect herself. She wasn't even quite sure what was being celebrated on this night, but that didn't matter. What mattered was the laughter, the fun, being able to wind down and just feel normal for once, although she was anything but. She watched her feet as the waves came crashing over them and the bitter cold of the water caused her to suck in a sharp breath and she quickly backed away.

She was surprised by the warm body she collided with and once she realized who it belonged to, she became instantly agitated.

"You fool! What are you thinking sneaking up on a lady like that?" He lifted an eyebrow and wanted with everything in him to come at her with the whole 'I see no lady' insult, but considering what had been running through his mind lately, he decided against it.

"Sorry, I uh – I just wanted to know if we could maybe take a walk?" She eyed him cautiously, taking note of the way he would not look her directly in the eyes. The way his feet shifted nervously in the sand. The way he kept running his hand through his hair, trying to seem nonchalant, but giving her the exact opposite impression.

"Sure .." They began their trek along the water, neither of them speaking for a long time. The sound of their friends laughter and conversations muffled together and started to fade into obscurity. The awkward way he approached her had her mind running in several directions. It was obvious that he wanted to talk about something, but what? He was obviously mulling something over, and practicing in his head how he would say whatever he wanted to say to her out loud.

Her lips curled up into a smirk, and she tried her best to suppress her laugh, but she couldn't.

"What's so funny?" An eyebrow quirked up.

"Nothing." She placed her dainty fingers over her lips and waited until she could stop smiling. "You are acting kind of strange is all. Just kind of curious if everything is okay?"

He stopped in his tracks, turning to face her, but still avoiding eye contact. At this point they were pretty far from their group of friends and the fire that they were surrounding, He brought his hand up to scratch at the back of his head, and his feet shifted anxiously in the sand below them.

"Look, I don't really know how to say what I want to say. I've been thinking about it for such a long time and really, I just keep coming up with nothin'" She planted her hands on her hips and tilted her head to the side.

"Ichigo, what is going on? You are acting really strange and it's making me kind of uneasy."

He dragged a hand over his face, then took a deep breath in.

"You know, I'm not exactly great with my words. I'm more of a 'take action' kind of guy. I don't really know how to say this."

"We've worked side by side for years. I think we know more about each other than either of us care to. You know you can say whatever." He finally got the nerve to look into her face, her features highlighted by just the light of the moon. Their eyes locked. "I can't promise that I won't beat you down if you plan on insulting me but-"

Her eyes went wide and his large hands came to cup her face. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers in a soft, unsure kiss. Her body froze, the shock completely crippling her. He was ready to break away and face what would surely be a slow and painful death when her thin arms snaked around his neck to pull him closer. Their bodies came together closing the distance between them, and her soft lips began to move eagerly against his own.

Was this actually happening? He couldn't believe it. As much as they were in tuned to each other this was the one area where he just didn't know. She never spoke of romance, of past lovers, of current love interests. Like Hell he would ever bring it up either. He was almost certain his actions on this early summer night would be his downfall. Not cut down by some powerful foe, but his own longtime comrade and ally. She was feisty, and could completely destroy him if she so chose to. That was one of the many reasons that he had come to fall in love with her in the first place.

When it was over and he opened his eyes, he found hers staring back at him. He searched them for an idea of her reaction, but he just couldn't read her. It was frustrating as hell. Under normal circumstances, he could read her. A nod of the head – Hell, a look was usually enough to tell what she was thinking and what she expected of him.

"I didn't expect that at all." He released her face and took a couple steps back. Maybe he had underestimated her lack of aggression. Maybe she needed a moment to process her anger. Maybe if he turned now he could get himself a little head start and prolong his doom just a little bit longer.

"Like I said, I'm not a feelings guy." He shoved his hands into his pockets, his face felt hot and his cheeks burned bright red with embarrassment. He felt like a complete idiot. Did he really misinterpret their relationship that much?

"I just meant, that I can't believe it took us this long to get here." She smirked at him, trying to lighten the mood. Her arms crossed over her chest. Her hands grazed over the skin of her arms that was now covered in goose bumps.

He let out a sigh of relief and didn't waste another moment. He pulled her into his arms, crushing her against his chest. She returned the gesture, snaking her arms around his slim waist, then buried her face into his chest. She took in his scent, and his warmth and thanked the Gods that he couldn't see the goofy ass smile that was plastered on her face.

"Rukia-" He inhaled her scent and placed a quick kiss on the top of her head. "I just want to be with you."

She craned her neck up so she was once again able to look into his eyes and nodded.

"Yeah. So do I."

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading! I've pretty much already finished the next couple of chapters.


	2. We're so Starving

This chapter includes adult content so continue at your own risk!

Summary - The honeymoon phase of the relationship is always the most fun.

 _Italics are flashbacks._

 **We're So Starving.**

While it may have taken (what seemed like) forever for them to come together and finally admit their feelings, the relationship itself had progressed pretty quickly. It was intense. It was passionate. It was … a secret. The stolen glances and quick kisses could be exciting. Sneaking away from their friends or his family when they were in groups was exciting. The thrill of getting caught added an interesting element to their relationship.

Rukia worried what her brother would think of her. For so many years she wanted to prove her worth – as a Shinigami, a sister, a Kuchiki. While she knew how amazing of a man Ichigo was, it was no secret how her older brother felt about him. The amazing thing was he was slowly gaining his respect, but all of that could be shattered if he caught on.

Ichigo was just a private person. He wasn't interested in all the questions and poking and prodding and he definitely didn't need his father acting like a bigger idiot than he already did. So when she asked that they keep their involvement to themselves, he was happy to oblige.

 _"_ _Can we maybe, not tell anyone about this?"_

 _"_ _Are you that ashamed of me?" He teased, earning a slap to the back of his head. Before she could attack again, he took her small hand in his and pulled her into a hug._

 _"_ _Fool – I'm just .. a very private person and don't wish to be the topic of any silly gossip." She popped up onto the tips of her toes to place a quick kiss on his lips as sort of an apology, then pulled out of his hold, turned and began the walk back to the fading fire and their group of obnoxiously loud friends. He caught up to her in two strides and took her small hand in his once again. She squeezed it back and held it tightly for the short walk back._

 _Before reaching the group, their hands slid away from each other, and he walked back to the crowd of guys, and she took her seat once again beside Orihime and Tatsuki. And when she looked across the fire to him, their eyes locked and she smiled at him and he returned the gesture._

It was more difficult than he imagined it would be to keep it from their friends. He found it was increasingly hard to keep his hands off of her when they were in public. He found that the more inappropriate it was to touch her, the bigger the urge to do so. Throughout the school day, he had the urge to reach out and grab her, hold her, kiss her.

Living with her wasn't making things easier. More often than not they weren't alone. Between his two teenage sisters and ridiculously idiotic father, someone was always around. It felt like it wasn't a matter of **if** people found out, but more of a question of when. He recalled their most recent (of many in the past few weeks) close calls that had taken place just a few hours ago

 _She was sitting on his bed, leaning down to adjust her knee socks and going on and on about something – he couldn't even remember what anymore. He abandoned his bag, which he was packing for the day, on his desk and knelt before her._

 _"_ _Ichigo, we don't really have time-" Stopping her lectures with kisses had become a favorite hobby of his. She completely abandoned her scolding, her arms wrapped around his neck, her legs around his waist. Her whole body melted against him. He lifted her effortlessly onto his bed, and began to grind against her. He only broke the kiss to trail kisses down along her neck. She threw her head back to grant him easier access and his name came out in the form of a moan. "Ichigo .."_

 _"_ _Ichigo!" Her eyes snapped open._

 _"_ _Ichigo! Yuzu!" They separated quickly, Ichigo rushing back to his desk, Rukia sitting up on the side of his bed, bending down once again to adjust the socks that he had inadvertently caused to slip back down to her ankles. They repositioned themselves just in time, because in the next instant his youngest sister busted in the door._

 _"_ _You two should hurry! You won't have any time to eat before you leave for school!"_

 _"_ _W-we're coming! Give us just a second, I'm just getting my books together." He tried to sound calm, cool, collected. But really he was stuttering, and he couldn't quite bring himself to look at her. Internally, he was trying to calm himself down. His skin just felt so hot._

 _"_ _I'm coming now, Yuzu." Rukia chimed cheerfully, a bright smile across her face. "What's on the menu this morning! I'm starving." She walked across the room, eyeing her boyfriend quickly before guiding the girl out of the room. She knew Ichigo would need a minute to pull himself together – she'd felt his excitement on her leg._

 _With a sigh he shoved the last book he would need into his bag and threw it over his shoulder. A few deep breaths later, he was able to compose himself, and he followed the girls out of his room and down to the kitchen._

"See you all tomorrow!" Rukia waved goodbye to their group of friends and the moment they were sure they were completely out of site they joined hands. They were relieved to find when they arrived home that they were finally alone. The twins weren't due home for another hour or so, but he wasn't quite sure about his nutcase of a father. That was why he wasted no time.

He set his bag down then without warning scooped his lover up into his arms with ease. The strap of her bag fell from her hand and her arms wrapped instinctively around his neck. He began kissing her furiously, trying to make up for all the tension that had built up between them the whole day. He walked towards the couch, and Rukia broke their kiss.

"Where are you going?" She eyed him quizzically.

"Couch." He leaned in to kiss her again, but she held her hand up to block him.

"I don't think so! Your father could walk through that door at any time!"

"I don't care." She smooshed his face with her hand again.

"Yes you do! Stop being lazy!" He rolled his eyes and conceded to her request, he took the steps two at a time, and she couldn't help but laugh.

Once his locked bedroom door was behind them all bets were off. Their mouths moved together, their tongues exploring the others mouths. Her hands pulled and tugged at his hair, his roamed her lower back until he couldn't control the need to feel her skin anymore and her grabbed at the back of her thighs. He needed to feel her flesh. When she didn't protest, he slid them further up her legs until his hands were up her skirt.

"Ichigo …" His name came out as a moan against his lips. "Put me down." He did as she was told and half expected her to beat him senseless for groping her, but instead she began fumbling against the buttons on his shirt. She ripped it down his arms and tossed it away. When he didn't take the initiative, she began unbuttoning her own blouse. His heart was beating heavy in his chest, his breath hitched in his throat.

This was the first time they'd actually made this much progress. Physically, he kept being built up only to be let down by some kind of interruption. The want and need for her was boiling over. It was impressive that he had this much sense about him with her standing before him, shirtless. Just a couple clasps away from being completely topless. Once again, she realized he wasn't going to make a move so she reached behind her back to unhook her bra.

"W-wait." She quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Is this not something you want?" She crossed her arms across her chest to cover herself.

"Of course it is. Are you seriously asking me that question? I just wanted to make sure you were okay with this." She just smiled, and finished what she had started. She pulled the lacey white bra away from her body and let it fall to the floor between them. "Shit .."

"Touch me, Ichigo. Don't be afraid … idiot." She teased him playfully before grabbing one of his hands and placing it over her breast. The other followed suit immediately. He squeezed, kneaded, then leaned in to catch one of her light pink nipples in her mouth. She threw her head back and once again his name came out of her mouth as a moan.

He couldn't take the waiting. He had been built up and let down so often lately he just desperately needed to be inside of her. She clumsily worked at his belt and once that task was done, he unbuttoned, unzipped and pushed his pants down his legs. He stepped out of them and guided her back to his bed.

He hovered over her, their eyes locking for a moment before he leaned in for another kiss. It was sloppy and needy and somehow gave him the confidence to shove his hand up her skirt. Her panties were went, her thighs were trembling. He couldn't wait anymore. He yanked them to the side and then buried himself inside of her. Their movements were awkward at first, but they quickly found their rhythm. Her hands planted themselves against his hips. Her nails digging into his skin urging him to move faster, harder.

He kissed, nipped, sucked at her neck. She moaned in appreciation, and returned the favor in the form of a bite against his shoulder.

"Rukia, I-"

"Ichigo!" Her back arched, her whole body shook, and her nails dug bloody little crescent moons into his flesh. She bucked against him, riding out her climax and that was just enough to bring him to his own. Once spent, he lay beside her, and used a hand to wipe away the sweat that lined his brow.

She sat up, straddled over him awkwardly and then hopped off of the bed.

"Wait – where are you going?" She her bra up her arms, quickly hooking it behind her back, then picked her shirt up off of the floor.

"We got pretty lucky, but I don't want to push it. I'm sure your Father will be home soon. You wouldn't want him to catch us, would you?" She tossed him his pants, and pulled her shirt on, her fingers working quickly at the buttons. "Hurry and get dressed, I am going to go get changed."

She opened his door, but before stepping into the hallway she looked back over her shoulder at him. For a moment he thought she was going to say something, but instead she just smiled and walked out, closing it behind her.

 **A/N:** Shout out to my wine, Nin, The Weeknd and She Wants Revenge for getting me through this scene. You da real MVP.


	3. When the Night met the Day

**A/N:** This took me forever to write between all my kids passing around the flu, then kindly giving it to me. I had the ideas for the next chapter already in my head and typed a lot of it out. I just have to go back over it and make sure it's not crap before posting. Should be up in the next couple days. And if you've made it through this much of my story thanks for taking your time out to read it! Leave me some love so I know I'm not wasting my time lol.

 **When the Night met the Day.**

Ichigo woke up late that night, and it took him a moment to realize there was a warm body curled up against his own. The last thing he remembered was that they were studying, which explained the school books laid askew around them on the bed. He checked his watch and found it was just after midnight.

"Shit .." He slid away from her, smiling at the strange noises she made in protest of the loss of his warmth. He lifted her effortlessly into his arms and made his way towards his sisters bedroom. His door was tricky, the girls was trickier- he was sure that he would wake at least one, if not all of them up in his attempt to sneak Rukia into her bed. Once she was tucked under the blankets, he triumphantly tip toed out of their room and into the hallway.

"You know, my idiot son, I really think this is a bad idea." He stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn around to face him.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that."

"I heard someone sneaking around the house at this late hour, I wouldn't be doing my fatherly duty if I didn't make sure everything was alright." He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his back up against the wall. "I meant what I said. You and Rukia – it's a bad idea."

"Nothing is going on between us. We were studying and fell asleep – That's it."

"Despite popular belief around here, I'm not a complete idiot. I know what's going on between you two. I see the looks. The way you two pull away from each other when I walk into the room. You think I don't notice these things? I know love when I see it."

"I don't know what you think you see, but either way it's not really any of your business." He tried to walk away but was stopped by his fathers strong hand on his shoulder.

"I've been where you are. I've been in your situation." He gave in and turned around to look at the older man. He looked concerned, his eyes were sincere. He felt a pain in his chest when he thought of his mother. "I loved someone I shouldn't have. We followed our hearts, we broke the rules. It ended in tragedy. When things aren't meant to be – they usually do."

"Dad-"

"I know you care about her. So make the right decision. The sooner you end it the least likely you both are to get hurt before things get too serious."

"I love her. I don't care about the consequences. I just … I need to be with her."

Their eyes locked, his father's hand squeezed his shoulder.

"I love you, son. There's nothing in this world I want more than your happiness. That's why I'm trying to warn you now. It will only end with heartbreak."

Ichigo pulled out of his grasp and once in his room slammed the door behind him. He leaned back against it then ran his fingers through his hair.

"Fuck …"

The next morning on their walk to school his father's words kept repeating over and over in his head. If he was being honest, they didn't think through any possible consequences that could come from their love affair. Until their conversation last night, he really didn't consider the possibility that there might be any at all, other than a certain brothers' disapproval.

 _It will only end in heartbreak …._

"Hello? Ichigo, where did you go just now? I've been going on and on and you aren't even paying attention!"

When he snapped back into reality Rukia was standing before him, snapping her fingers and trying to bring him out of his daze.

"Oh, sorry, I uh-"

"You were thinking about what your father said last night." His eyes went wide.

"So, you heard that." She nodded.

"You weren't very stealthy when you were sneaking me into my bed. I'm actually surprised you didn't wake the whole house."

"Rukia … he's not right. You know that. Right?"

She licked her lips and her eyes wondered his while she searched for the right words to say.

"Nothing is guaranteed, but I know that neither of us will give up on the other easily. I will fight for you. I will never stop fighting for us."

"And neither will I." He leaned in to kiss her, but instead of soft lips, his face met with the palm of her hand. "Really?"

"Rukia! Ichigo!" Orihime chimed happily, her arm extended in the air, her hand waving back and forth excitedly. "Good morning!"

"You've got to be more aware of your surroundings! You are gonna get us caught!" She smiled cheerfully and turned to face their friend.

"Whatever …" He griped, and followed behind her.

Sometimes, he didn't think that would be such a bad idea. As on board with keeping things hush hush he was in the beginning, he often found himself wishing he didn't have to hide it. He wanted to reach out and touch her when he felt like it. He wanted to kiss her, constantly. He wanted to be able to throw an arm around her shoulders and hold her close when they walked, or hold her tiny hand in his. It was getting really hard to fight the urges. And she had been right that morning. The more comfortable they became together, as a couple, the harder it got for him to remember to keep his hands to himself.

Lunch that day started with their normal routine. Him with the boys, her with the girls. But really, he couldn't be less focused on their conversation, his eyes remained focused on her. He couldn't help himself, it was the way she sat with her legs crossed, and her skirt was riding up a little too high on her thigh. He watched her lips as she talked, about what, he couldn't care less. And he smirked when she caught him looking her way. Her cheeks went red and she tried to refocus her attention on her friends.

She knew that look. She knew what he wanted. She'd be lying if she said she didn't want it too. This was a completely new wave of emotions for her to deal with. She'd longed for him for years, but to have finally tasted his flesh and felt his body pressed against hers – it just made her want him all the more. She knew what she was missing out on. She became flustered when an image of the last time they were together popped into her head. She could feel his eyes on her, and sure enough when she looked his way again, he was still staring at her. He pulled his phone from his pocket, and she raised an eyebrow in question.

Next thing she knew, he was approaching their group.

"Uh – hey, sorry girls – Rukia, could you help me with something really quick?"

She eyed him suspiciously.

"Is it anything I can help with, Ichigo?" Orohime asked eagerly, her eyes lighting up with the opportunity to spend some time with him. Lately, he and Rukia were so busy they rarely got the chance to hang out as a group outside of school.

"N-no, Orihime, we can handle it. Not a big deal." He laughed nervously, and gestured his head in the direction he wanted Rukia to follow him in. She rolled her eyes, but obliged.

Once sure he was out of their friends sight, he grabbed her hand.

"Ichigo, what is going on? I didn't get any- What the-!" Before she realized what he was doing, she was being pulled into a broom closet. "What are you doing? Ichigo, what has gotten into-" His lips crashed against her, and as badly as she wanted to scold him right now, she just couldn't resist him.

Sloppy kisses turned into hands fumbling in the dark. His with the buttons of her shirt, hers with his belt. When their kiss was finally broken, so he could pull one of her hardened pink nipples into his mouth, she came back to reality.

"Ichigo – what if we get caught." Between kisses across her chest to the other breast he mumbled against her skin.

"We. Won't." He lifted her and pinned her back against some random shelving unit, the contents on said shelf wobbling and threatening to fall. One hand grasped the back of her thigh, holding her petite body up, the other slid to the warmth between her legs. He pulled her panties to the side and buried himself into her. She yelled out, and he quickly placed that same hand over her mouth to muffle her moans.

"You keep that up and we will." Her cheeks burned bright red, but whether that was from embarrassment or her arousal he couldn't tell. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, and despite being the one to scold her, had to focus hard to not be too loud himself. She had an arm snaked around his neck, the other around his waist. Her fingers tightly gripped and pulled at his shirt, her panting in his ear was driving him mad. When he felt her body shake with her release it was enough to push him over the edge as well, and with a few more pumps he finished inside of her.

His breathing was ragged, his heart pounded hard in his chest. He trailed kisses from her chest, up along her neck until he caught her lips. She returned his passionate kiss, her fingers now pulling and tugging at his wild hair. His fingers dug into the flesh on her thighs.

"Ichigo." She mumbled against his mouth. He rested his forehead against hers, and although the kiss was broken, they were close enough that when the one spoke, their lips moved against the others. "Let's not get too worked up again. We've got to get back to class. We wouldn't want someone to find us here, like this."

"You're right." He gave her one last kiss before setting her down and made sure she was steady on her feet before adjusting himself. Once she was finished buttoning up her shirt, he cracked the door to the closet open. Once certain they were clear, he grabbed her hand in his and slipped into the hall.

"I've got to go to the ladies room to, um, clean up. I will see you in class." She looked around once more, just to make very certain they were alone and left him with a chaste kiss on the lips.

As careful as they thought they were, she had seen them. Her eyes went wide as she watched them pop out of the closet. Her jaw dropped to the floor when she saw them kiss. Her heart was broken. She hid behind the corner, trying to stop herself from crying. When Rukia jogged across the intersection in the hallway she was so distracted she didn't notice Orihime standing there, against the wall, her hand over her mouth.

She always knew that Rukia and Ichigo shared a special bond. She knew they were close. She just thought – no, more like she hoped it was a brother sister bond. She had so much respect and cared very deeply for Rukia. But in that moment, when they snuck out of that closet and then their lips met, she was so very hurt. Not too long ago she was afraid of the substitute shinigami. But through their journeys, through their battles and through their interaction+ as friends she had grown to love him. Jealousy was not a feeling she liked. Not at all.

The bell rang and the halls quickly filled with students, and a moment later Tatsuki was at her side.

"Hey, Orihime! What's the matter, you look like you've seen a ghost!" She faked the best possible smile she could muster, and quickly wiped away tears that were on the verge of falling.

"N-nothing! Everythings great! Let's get to class, we don't want to be late!" They started on their way back to class, and Inoue swore to herself she wouldn't speak a word of this to anyone. Not that she was protecting them or their secret, but because it hurt too much to admit out loud. Ichigo and Rukia were together. In love maybe. And the thought of them in that closet killed her a little bit.

Rukia paced back and forth in Ichigos room nervously bit at her thumbnail. With a sigh, Ichigo leaned back in his chair.

"Would you just relax. You are gonna wear a hole into the floor if you keep pacing around like that." She stopped, her hands flew to her hips and she gave him that look that he just knew came along with a lecture.

"She knows! Why are you telling me to calm down! She knows, and soon everyone will know and it's eventually going to get back to my brother. This was not the way I wanted him to find out! This isn't the way I wanted anyone to find out!" He rubbed his face with his hand.

"You can't be sure she knows."

"Yes, I can! It was the look in her eyes. And the way she leaned in and said 'You're shirt is buttoned funny'. You didn't see the look on her face! Orihime knows!" She was taken off guard when he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and placed a soft kiss against her temple. "Ichigo – I thought you agreed when I said we should keep our relationship to ourselves. You are taking this pretty well. What changed?"

"I just don't care anymore. I fucking love you and maybe this sounds cheesy or cliché, but I don't give a shit who knows it anymore." He smiled as his fingertips roamed the features of her face. Along her brow, down her nose, tracing the curve of her top lip, then brushing over the plump bottom.

"And I love you. I'm not ashamed of us, I just .. you know my brother. I don't want to disappoint him anymore than I already have." He nodded.

"You're not a disappointment. You are an amazing woman. And you are a strong shinigami. But, I can respect the fact that you aren't ready for people to know about us. We will just have to be more careful from here on out."

"Like, no more attacking me at school." She said accusingly, and his widened. He poked her side playfully.

"I'm pretty sure you are the one who seduced me."

"You idiot I did no such thing! I was innocently eating my lunch when you-"

"Ichigo! Rukia dinner is ready!" At that moment Yuzu burst through the door, dirty apron hanging from her neck and a spoon in her hand. Her eyes went wide and her mouth hung open in shock. Her cheeks burned a deep red. "Uh- sorry! I thought you didn't hear me … J-just come down whenever you are ready f-for food!"

"Yuzu-" It was too late. She was already flying down the hall and the steps. "Fuck. We are really not great at being discreet."

They both burst out into a fit of laughter, and she stumbled off of his lap.

"Well, my whole family knows now." He stood up and took her hand in his. "You know Yuzu and Karin are going to have a million questions for us. Might as well get it over with."

 **A/N:** I love the smut but I hate it when I'm the one writing it lol. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've gotten pretty far into the next chapter already, so while I took forever to post this one, the next one should be up in the next day or two!

A little extra info that you may not care about, I totally listened to Korn A.D.I.D.A.S while writing that scene XD.


	4. Crowded Places

**A/N:** I will no longer be promising I will update in a couple days. I get pretty bad anxiety when I read my work over, and sometimes I just say 'eff it' and scrap everything .. which is what I did with this chapter. So sorry for the wait for this one! Read, enjoy, review – I appreciate them so much!

 **CROWDED PLACES.**

Dammit. Sometimes, Ichigo really hated being right.

He knew this party was a bad idea.

He knew he wouldn't enjoy himself.

He knew he should have just stayed home.

He was just about to deny the invitation when Rukia butted in and accepted for the both of them. When they were alone together later on that evening, he put his foot down. He wasn't gonna go. It wasn't happening. He was serious.

Until she looked at him with those big doe eyes. And her bottom lip stuck out in a fake pout. Her arms wrapped around his waist and her fingernails gently scratched over his back. And, well, now here they were.

Correction, here HE was. Moping in the corner with a drink in his hand, because even though he let her drag him here, he absolutely would NOT dance. But his eyes stayed fixed on her. It was hard to stay bitter about her "negotiation tactics" when she looked so happy. He was intent on not losing her to the crowd, which wasn't a simple task considering her small stature. Even despite the four inch heels she was wearing, that he still couldn't believe she could even walk in.

"Ichigo!" There was a blur of strawberry blonde, and the next thing he knew her arms were around his neck and her body was pressed right against his. His face turned a bright shade of red once he just realized just how little she was wearing. The low cut of her emerald green shirt showed more skin than he was comfortable. "I knew you would be here!"

"Orihime." He could tell instantly she was drunk. Her speech had a slight slur to it, her cheeks were flushed and her breath reeked of alcohol. Not to mention her blatant show of affection. She would never be so bold as to hang all over him if she weren't inebriated. "Are you alright?"

"I'm great! Having a blast! I'm just waiting for Tatsuki to come back from the bathroom Ichigo, why aren't you dancing?!"

"Not interested."

"Not interested? Well, you're no fun!"

Despite obviously being buzzed, she was completely aware that he was looking right through her. And when she turned to seek out the object that had his complete attention, her heart sank. Only a few weeks had passed by since she saw them emerge from that broom closet. Since she saw them share a kiss. She hadn't told anyone. Not even Tatsuki. She told herself it was because she was a good friend and it was none of her business, but in reality she knew that saying it out loud would make it real. And she wasn't ready to accept that.

But here they were with a bit of liquid courage and no Rukia standing between them. She carefully eyed his features. And watched as his lips moved, even though she couldn't comprehend a word he was saying. Her eyes roamed down his neck, his adam's apple bobbing as he talked, to the little bit of his hard chest that peeked out of a black v neck t-shirt. She bit down on her bottom lip, and could feel the heat rising in her chest, up her neck, behind her ears. She started to wonder just how soft his lips were and how they might taste and …

She lost herself. Her hands clung tightly to his shirt and she pressed her body as close to his as possible and she kissed him. She let everything that was building up over the last few years out into that kiss.

Once the initial shock wore off his hands flew up and in trying to gently push her away, he forgot he had the half-full cup in his hand and ended up covering them both in beer.

"Shit! Orihime I'm sorry I just-" She instantly settled her gaze on the floor, she couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes. The reality of what she'd done was sobering.

"I'm sorry … I'm really sorry, I just –" She placed a hand over her mouth and the other over her stomach. "I think I've just had too much to drink."

"Ichigo, Orihime! What is up, am I interrupting something?" Tatsuki placed a hand on Orihimes shoulder and when her friend turned to face her, she had a sad smile on her face.

"Tatsuki! I think I've had too much to drink! Can you help me find a bathroom? I need to get cleaned up." She was trying her best to smile through the pain and suppress the tears that were trying desperately to form in her eyes.

"Uh- yeah, of course. Ichigo, we'll see you later?" She waved to him, then proceeded in escorting her intoxicated best friend to the bathroom. He watched them leave, still not exactly sure how to process what had just happened. He tried to write it off as Orihime just being drunk and nothing more, but really he knew that wasn't the case.

"What the fuck was that?" He was ready to leave. He was done. He hated parties, and drama was one of the big reasons why. He scanned the crowd for Rukia, and once he located her, his vision went red.

Talking him into the party was the easy part. Dancing was where he wouldn't budge. Even a little provocative wiggling wouldn't entice him enough. So after a couple of drinks and a quick kiss, she ventured onto the makeshift dance floor by herself. It was nice to let loose. The flashing strobe lights, the beat of the music vibrating through her body, the energy of everyone dancing around her. She felt grateful to be able to just relax and let her hair down for once.

Every so often she would make sure to lock eyes with the moody strawberry blonde who kept a watchful eye on her from a distance. She would smile at him, he would glare at her and she would laugh. Until she spotted them together. Orihime was hanging around neck. She didn't like the feeling burning deep in her gut. What could they be talking about? The music began to die down, along with the bright, flashing lights and instead of the color that filled the room a moment ago, they were bathed in blue. Bodies came together and began to sway back and forth. She watched the interaction between her boyfriend and the girl who'd been pining after him for years. She willed herself to make her way towards them but was stopped by a strangers hand around her wrist.

"Dance with me? I've been watching you watch him all night." She snatched her hand away and turned to look at the offender with a scowl. He wasn't a bad looking guy. He had dark hair, brown or black she really couldn't tell in this lighting, that hung in his face and hid his eyes. His lips were turned up in a lecherous smirk.

"Actually, I have to get back to my friends." He placed a hand on her shoulder and she knew just how easy it would be to snap his wrist in half.

"Your friends look kind of busy to me." He nodded his head in their direction, and she narrowed her eyes at him, then turned her head back in the direction of the two strawberry blondes to see what he was implying.

Her heart almost stopped in her chest. Her jaw dropped and her she felt the stinging of tears in her eyes. They were kissing. He was _kissing_ her. She felt as though she'd been punched in the gut. She had to look away. She turned back towards the creep who still had his hand an welcome hand on her shoulder.

"You are the best looking girl here tonight, just give me once dance?"

"Sure. Why not?"

Alcohol and anger clouded her judgment and without another thought she pulled him close and wrapped her arms around his neck. It felt awkward, he was significantly shorter than Ichigo. Her brain was shouting at her that this was wrong. That it wasn't okay, but her heart felt broken, and she hoped he would look their way and maybe feel the way she was feeling in this moment.

She wasn't thrilled with the way his hands slid around her waist. If she wasn't so angry, he surely wouldn't be getting away with it, but dammit, she just wanted to give that jerk a taste of his own medicine. Tears stung her eyes but she tried so hard to fight them. She felt the strangers breath on her shoulder and it sent chills down her spine. She was trying to rationalize what she had just seen, but her mind was just completely clouded by hurt, jealousy, anger, hate. She just couldn't understand why he would do this to her.

"What the fuck, Rukia?" That didn't take long. She broke away from the handsy jerk and was instantly enraged by the accusatory tone in his voice.

"What's your problem, dude? We are dancing here. Back the fuck up." He came chest to chest with Ichigo to Rukias surprise. He didn't seem phased by their obvious size difference. Of course he didn't know Ichigo could probably destroy him with one punch, she kind of admired the balls on him.

"This is my fucking girlfriend." The shorter male threw his hands up surrender the instant he saw the vein pop in Ichigos fore head.

"My bad, we were just dancing. No harm no foul." He slithered back into the crowd without another word. Rukia's eyes rolled up into her skull at his cowardice.

"What the fuck, Rukia? What was that about?" Her amusement died down and once again she saw red and gave him a good shove, pushing him right out of her way and then she stormed stormed through the crowd and out of the building. He was right on her heels.

"Rukia! Wait!" He grabbed her by the arm and forced her to turn his way. "What the Hell was that?" It felt like her whole body was on fire.

"You have a lot of nerve questioning me when I saw what you did. After everything that we risked when we started this relationship, why would you do that?"

"What I did? You mean Orihime? You've got to be kidding! She kissed me, Rukia!" She yanked her arm out of his grasp, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "You're being ridiculous!"

"I'm being ridiculous? You know she is in love with you."

"You are being crazy. She was drunk, she didn't know what she was doing. You, on the other hand, knew exactly what you were doing when you let some dick basically grope you."

"He was hardly groping me you idiot, and don't call me crazy!"

He let out an exasperated yell and tangled his fingers in his messy mop of bright orange hair.

"I didn't say you were crazy. Actually, I think you might be driving me crazy." He instantly regretted the words when he saw fat tears sliding over her flushed cheeks. She was never the one to back down in their arguments, then again this wasn't a normal silly disagreement between them. Her arms crossed, what seemed like protectively, across her chest and she lowered her eyes to the ground.

"Well, I'm sorry I am causing you so much trouble." Her voice was shaky. "Maybe this relationship isn't such a good idea."

"Rukia .."

"No, Ichigo. This isn't something that I do. I don't like this. I don't like feeling this way and what I did was really stupid. I love you, and in that moment I wanted to hurt you. That's not okay." He pulled her against him and wrapped his arms as tightly as he could, without hurting her, around her tiny frame. As she always did she melted right into his protective embrace.

"Don't say that. It took us too long to get here." He buried his face in her hair and inhaled her scent. The sweet coconut smell was intoxicating. "I'm sorry for what happened with her. Do you really think I would do that to you? I would never intentionally hurt you. I'm just an idiot sometimes."

"This is so stupid. Ichigo, I'm tired of playing this game. Hiding the truth and lying is driving me crazy. I don't want to do it anymore."

"That would mean telling Byakuya. Are you really ready for that?"

"I don't know if I'm ready, but it is what needs to be done. The excitement of sneaking around was fun in the beginning, but it's become so exhausting to keep up the charade. I'm just ready."

Just the thought of that conversation caused such anxiety in her, she began to gnaw and chew at her bottom lip. He smiled, and brought his thumb up to trace it.

"Stop it. We'll be okay. Everything will be okay." He was actually trying to convince himself just as much as he was hoping to convince her. He placed his hands on either side of her face and tilted her head so that she was looking at him. "We'll get through this together."

She nodded, and closed her eyes as he leaned in to kiss her. The tension and anxiety faded away almost instantly. As nerve wrecking as this decision was, she knew that there was not a better partner to face the very likely backlash ahead with than him. When he broke their kiss, he took her small hand in his and pulled her back in the direction of the party they'd abandoned.

"Where are we going?" The corner of her mouth turned up in a curious half smile.

"I feel like I owe you one."

He led her through the crowd of people and then pulled her close to him. He wrapped his arms tight around her waist and leaned forward to bury his face into the crook of her neck. She wrapped her arms around his neck to hold him close.

"I thought that you didn't dance." Her lips gently grazed his ear as she spoke.

"I don't, but you looked like you enjoy it. So, I'm willing to compromise." She tried to stop the goofy smile from forming on her face and when she couldn't she thanked all that was holy that he couldn't see it. Their future was uncertain, but at this moment things were perfect. Everything she'd wanted all these years was in her arms, swaying with her to the soft music. The people surrounding them disappeared into obscurity and in their minds it was just the two of them.

Hazel eyes filled with tears as she watched the man she loved lean in and kiss one of her closest friends. She'd been in denial since that day she watched them emerge from a broom closet. After showing up here and drinking a few drinks, she was able to convince herself that once she came clean about her feelings for him that he would almost certainly reciprocate them.

"Orihime .. Are you okay?" Tatsuki spoke softly and placed a hand gently on her best friends shoulder. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and nodded hard, trying desperately to believe her own lie.

"I'm happy if Ichigo is happy." Her smile was sad, and her pain was apparent in her eyes and her furrowed brow. "I think I'm going to go home now. Would you maybe want to come over and keep me company?"

Tatsuki smiled reassuringly.

"Of course. Let's get out of here."

 **A/N:** If the title wasn't enough of an indicator, I listened to Crowded Spaces by Banks on a loop while writing most of this chapter. I hope to have the next chapter out soon for you guys! Thanks so much to those who review the story. It really gives me the motivation to continue on with the story.


	5. Come Clean

A/N: This chapter was hard to get out. I wrote and rewrote it many times. Not to mention I have three kids, 2 of which are on summer break and a 1 year old running around screaming constantly and have been unable to concentrate. So, I apologize for the super long wait for an update.

 **Come Clean**

She was just outside of her brother's office. Her hand was reaching for the door. She took a deep breath in and, for what seemed like the hundredth time in the last twenty minutes or so dropped it back at her side. She exhaled the breath she didn't even realize she was holding and began pacing back and forth once again. She repeated the words she hoped to say to his face over again in her head.

"Rukia." His voice sent a chill up her spine. "Please come in. I can't get any work done with you pacing outside of my door like that."

She cursed herself for being so completely idiotic. Of course he would have been able to sense her presence. She slid the doors open and took another deep breath before stepping inside.

"What is the reason for your visit today?" She took a few steps towards where he was sitting at his desk. He obviously wanted to get straight to the point, so she obliged him.

"I-I have something I need to tell you." He set the stack of papers in his hands down on the desk in front of him and motioned with his hand for her to take a seat, but she shook her head from side to side.

"Alright then."

"I needed you to know. Before anybody else. Ichigo and I-" Her heart was throbbing in her chest. Her throat was dry. She felt sweat beading along her forehead. Meanwhile, his face remained expressionless. "Ichigo and I are together. In a relationship."

Not a quirk of his eyebrow or a twitch of his lips. He remained stone faced. He didn't speak for what seemed like forever. Her resolve was ready to crack, but she promised herself that she wouldn't waiver. She wouldn't let him see her sweat, so to speak. Her eyes searched his for any indication of what he was thinking.

And then he cleared his throat.

"What exactly do you want from me Rukia?"

"What?"

"Are you here for my blessing?"

"I don't –"

"He is young. And he is a fool. What he wants now may not be what he wants a year from now. You are from very different worlds, and you have lived very different lives. Does he intend to leave the world of the living and make a life here with you? Leave his family, his home?"

Her mouth opened, to speak, but he stopped her.

"Or did you intend to leave your life and everything you've accomplished behind to live amongst the living? You are willing to give up all the work you have done to prove to me and the rest of the Seireitei your worth, for a relationship that most likely won't last? You deserve better."

"How can you think so little of him after everything he has done for us? He has given up so much of his life to aid in Seireitei affairs. He was willing to give his life to save mine. If not for him, I wouldn't even be alive today." Her face was red from the adrenaline coursing through her body. Her heart felt like it was going to explode in her chest. She found her voicing raising with every word. This was not how she intended this meeting to go. She was going to stand strong in her resolve. She wasn't going to let him break her. She felt the stinging of tears in the corner of her eyes. She didn't want to show him her weakness.

"All he has ever done is prove himself. All he continues to do is prove himself. He has shown the kind of honorable man that he is, so why is it that you refuse to see it?"

She searched his eyes for any indication of what he could be thinking, but found none. It was a long time before he spoke. So long, she almost turned to walk out of the room and end the conversation then and there, without another word. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his two fingers

"You are a grown woman. You will do what you will do, whether I approve or not. I only hope that you will think things through. Assess the risks involved, and ask yourself if a fling is really worth everything that you have worked for?"

She took a deep breath and did her best to compose herself. She turned and walked to the door and reached out to open it, but stopped momentarily.

"Ichigo is a good man. He would never hurt me. I guess he is just going to have to do what he has always done and prove himself. We both will."

She walked out of his office after that, if he was going to say something – she didn't want to hear it. For once in her life she decided that she was going to do what she felt in her heart was right, despite the possible consequences the future might hold.

She made the decision, in that moment, walking down that empty hall, that she deserved to be happy. And she was willing to take whatever risks were necessary to do so. Her lips curved up into a smile and she realized she'd never felt so strong. She spent many years of her life trying to conform to the Kuchiki clans' high standards. She always felt like she just wasn't good enough.

For so many years she set aside her happiness.

She wasn't going to do that anymore.

That night she climbed into that very familiar bedroom window and smiled sweetly at the strawberry blonde slumped over his desk. He was still completely dressed, coat and all. She took a moment to admire the curves of his face, the wild way his hair stuck out in every direction, the softness of his features as he slept. It was one of the only times his face wasn't contorted into a scowl.

She slid quietly off of the bed and tip toed to his sleeping form. She leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Rukia …"

"Mm." She placed a soft kiss just below his ear, and a few more down along his neck.

"Where the Hell have you been?" He sat up and instantly regretted it. His back was cramped, his neck was throbbing. "Ah – dammit."

"I went to see my brother." She began to slowly knead the back of his neck, then worked her way down to his shoulders.

"I thought we agreed that we would go this weekend. Together." He moaned in response to the expert work her fingers made on his back. He was angry, he was tense, but that tension was slowly melting away.

"I'm sorry. Really, I am. I just felt like this was something that I needed to do by myself." He turned in his chair and pulled her onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his head on her chest. The steady beating of her heart could easily put him right back to sleep. She, in turn, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and tangled her fingers in his untamed hair. "You aren't angry with me .. are you?"

"No, I'm not angry." He titled his head so he was able to look at her once more. "It's just .. when I realized where you'd gone, I got this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach that I'd never see you again."

She took a moment to search his eyes, his face and then she pressed his lips to his and kissed him deeply. When their lips parted, she rested her forehead against his.

"Ichigo, you never have to worry about that. I will always come back to you."

Effortlessly he lifted her up and carried her bridal style to his bed. He breathed in her scent and nuzzled against her chest once more. Her fingers worked through his hair in the comforting way he'd grown to love, and he slowly drifted back to sleep.

She was dead tired. The red numbers on the digital alarm clock on the nightstand read 3:58. She listened to the sound of the crickets chirping, the ceiling fan rotating above them, and the light snoring coming from her partner.

Her brothers concern echoed in her mind until she was finally able to fall into a restless sleep.

"I knew it!" Karin exclaimed excitedly, slamming her hand on the breakfast table. "I just knew the two of you were acting weird! I told you, Yuzu, I told you!"

"Oh, y-yeah. You sure were." Her twin sisters face became flush as the morning she caught them fooling around popped back into her memory. She tried to will the image away, because it all honesty the whole ordeal had been particularly traumatizing for her.

"Karin, it's not that big of a deal, would you quit it." Although he tried to remain unphased by outburst, his cheeks burned an undeniable bright red. He continued to pick at his breakfast and his eyes darted to Rukia.

"I'm sorry that we kept it from you both." Yuzu choked on the piece of food in her mouth and reached for her glass of juice. Her face burned bright red and Rukia's soon matched. Somehow she was still able to manage her composure.

"Geeze Yuzu, did you forget how to eat today? You have been acting so strange!" Karin eyed her sister, then her brother. Finally her eyes settled on Rukia. "Wait a minute. Did you know about this Yuzu?!"

"N-no. I mean, not exactly!" She poked at breakfast, unable to make eye contact with any of the people at the table. "I mean, I saw _something_ , but I didn't really-"

"How could you keep this from me? I tell you everything! Am I the only one in this house who didn't know? What about Dad?"

"Well, Yuzu, thanks for breakfast! Rukia, I think we better head out. We don't want to be late for school." He shoved his last piece of toast in his mouth before taking his dishes to the sink. Rukia followed suit.

"Thank you so much for the breakfast Yuzu."

Rukia massaged her shoulder. Ichigo rubbed at the new lump on the back of his head where Rukia had landed the perfect smack. Just like she always did.

"What the Hell was that for?" He scowled deeply in her direction and was met with a glare just as dangerous.

"You almost ripped my arm out of its socket! What the Hell were you thinking?"

"Better to get out of there in a hurry than have to sit there and listen to Yuzu recount all the dirty details of our hook up." He shuddered. "It's bad enough she saw what she saw. Making her live it is just cruel."

Her face lit up and she let out a soft laugh. They began their walk to school and instinctively their hands came together.

Just before rounding the corner that would lead into the schools courtyard, their hands broke apart. Just another part of their usual routine. Ichigo stopped in his tracks, and once Rukia realized he'd stopped, she turned to look at him.

"What are you doing?"

"We don't have to do that anymore." He held his hand out to her and nodded in its direction.

"Yeah, I guess we don't." Their hands came together and their fingers intertwined. The smile on her face was ridiculously cheesy, and he couldn't help but to laugh.

A weight was finally lifted off their shoulders.

It felt like they were starting a new life.

Just one final bump – surviving this first day at school as an out in the open couple.

How hard could it possibly be?


	6. Small Bump

**Small Bump**

"Can I get you anything?" He took her small hand in his own and gently ran his thumb along her knuckles.

"I think I'm going to be sick." She crawled over top of him and off of his bed, almost losing her footing in the process. She rushed to the bathroom and fell to her knees before the toilet. She'd been sick the whole night so at this point nothing was coming up, but the dry heaving seemed to be worse.

Ichigo was at her side a moment later, pulling her hair away from her pale face and holding it in one hand, while rubbing her lower back with the other.

"You must have caught that bug that's been-"

"Ichigo-" She interrupted, turning her head to look back at him. "I don't think I am sick. I've been feeling off lately. When I take into consideration all of the symptoms I've been having lately …" Her eyes trailed away from his. "Ichigo, I am showing all the signs of pregnancy."

That word caused his entire body to go stiff, the soft movements against the small of her back stopping immediately. His tan skin paled. Surely, he had heard her wrong. Or she was mistaken. That couldn't happen, right?

"W-what?" He attempted to swallow the lump in his throat. "How- How could this happen?" Her eyes narrowed.

"Are you serious? Has anyone ever given you the talk or must I educate you now?"

"I know HOW. Please, spare me your horrible Chappy drawings." The thought of her favorite cartoon bunny in compromising positions sent a shudder down his spine. As amazing a woman as she was, her drawing was not one of her strongest talents. "I just- I guess I didn't even consider that a possibility."

She lifted herself off the floor and stepped towards the sink. She ran the cold water and splashed a bit over her face before reaching for her toothbrush.

"Obviously neither did I. But I did some research. I have a lot of the symptoms – Nausea, what seems to be morning sickness, my breasts are in so much pain. "She watched herself in the mirror, he watched her, his brain still trying desperately to wrap around exactly what she was saying. "We need to be sure – I have to get to Urahara after school today and-"

"N-no! Let's not go to him!" She rinsed her mouth, shut the water off, then returned her toothbrush to it's usual place. "I mean, there are ways that we can figure it out without having to go to him." He was well aware that all of Seireitei would know if they filled him in on this little secret, if there was a secret to be had anyway. That was most definitely not the way he would want Byakuya to find out. The day they told him about their relationship was terrifying enough. Ichigo truly believed that he would die that day. Luckily, after a long conversation with his sister, he gave the relationship his blessing. Well, it was more of a 'I'll accept it because you're a grown woman who has sense enough to makes her own decisions.' But it was a start. "We'll stop by the store on the way home from school. We'll figure this out."

She nodded, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, then turned to walk out of the room. She gasped when his tight grip around her wrist stopped her in her tracks, and before she could question him she was pulled into his tight embrace. She instantly melted like butter into his warmth, her own arms snaking around his slim waist. She would never admit it out loud, but she was scared. What would her brother think of her? Even if she turned out not to be pregnant, the fact that she could be so careless would not sit well with the older Kuchiki. It was hard enough for him to accept her relationship. How could he possibly accept their child? A child born out of wedlock at that!

His embrace helped to put her mind at ease. With him by her side she was sure she could overcome any situation. She knew she was strong, but together they felt damn near unstoppable. He placed a kiss on top of her head, and before pulling away from her inhaled the sweet, fruity smell of her shampoo.

"Come on. Let's get ready for school."

It almost felt like that last bell just wasn't going to ring. She swore at least once she watched the hands on the clock move backwards for a couple of ticks. Her eyes shut tight, then opened again and it once again was ticking away towards the end of the day. She spent the entire day completely spaced out. The words may have come out matter-of-factly when she said them to Ichigo, but truthfully, the actual idea of being pregnant was so far out in left field.

And as if she wasn't already nervous enough, she could just feel Ichigos eyes on her. Sure enough, whenever she looked back she would catch him staring intently. She would glare at him, he would turn his attention back to the lesson, and she would breathe a sigh of relief until the next time she felt his eyes boring into the back of her head.

It was driving her insane. She was supposed to be the one freaking out. It was her body after all that might possibly have a human – shinigami – whatever it was, growing inside of her.

She glanced back up to the clock, then back over her shoulder and when he was caught staring, again, his eyes darted to their instructor. He tried to play it off like she hadn't caught him and he looked so goofy in that moment that she couldn't stop herself from smiling.

"Idiot." She mouthed to him. He returned her smile and both were caught off guard when that damn bell FINALLY rang.

She tore open the box and pulled one of the sticks out. She unwrapped the plastic around it and looked it over. Ichigo took the box from her hands and skimmed through the instructions.

"It says you should do it first thing in the morning." She glared at him, and with a point of her finger, instructed him to turn around. Once she finished her business, she replaced the cap on the stick and placed in down on the countertop. Once she was decent she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Set your phone timer to 3 minutes." He did as he was told, and placed his phone beside the dreaded test. She paced the bathroom, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her teeth chewed anxiously at her bottom lip. Not once did she take her eyes off of the test, and his phone slowly counting down the seconds beside it.

Ichigo was squatting, his back pressed against the wall to keep his balance. His elbows were resting on his knees and his hands couldn't stop fidgeting. Watching her was making him more nervous than the damn test. What if it was positive? What if she was pregnant? She looked so fragile, so scared. He wasn't used to this part of her. She was usually confident. Strong. Nothing phased her. Or at least, she didn't let anyone know that it did. He always admired that about her.

He stood up, and took her face in his hands, stopping her spastic pacing and looked into her face. Her eyes were full of fear, her brow creased with worry. Her bottom lip was an angry red from the assault from her teeth. He kissed her, so softly, and immediately her body relaxed. Her face lightened, her arms fell from the locked position across her chest and fell limp at her sides. He opened his eyes to look over her now peaceful face and smiled.

"I love you. I love you so much. Don't be afraid. Whatever happens, you aren't alone in this. Please, just calm down, it kills me to see you like this."

"Ichigo-"

Before she could finish her sentence, his timer was going off. They both turned their heads to look in its direction, but neither of them immediately made a move to see what it said. She turned her head to once again face him, and he placed a hand on either side of her face. His lips claimed her in a kiss, and somehow all the nerves melted away. She wrapped her arms around his waist and when their lips parted she buried her face against his chest.

"It's going to be okay."

He leaned over to grab the test, then held out to her.

"No. I can't look. Will you?"

He once again complied with her direction and looked at the window which held the results. His expression told her everything that she needed to know, but she took it from his hand anyway. She had to see it for herself.

Two lines.

Two pink lines.

She snatched the directions from the counter and read the explanation of the results at least ten times. Two lines equals positive. Positive meant pregnant.

"Two lines." Her voice was shaky. She was not usually an emotional person, but that stony exterior broke. A tear slid down her cheek. He was quick to wipe it away. He pulled her back into his arms and buried his face in her hair. Her tiny body was trembling. "This can't actually be happening." She gripped the fabric of his shirt in her tiny fists and instead of hiding her emotions like she was used to – she let them all out. The sound of her crying was muffled against his chest.

"I told you, it's going to be okay." His hands rubbed her back, trying desperately to comfort her. He needed her to stop crying. He couldn't take the pain in her voice. He just wanted to make it go away.

"How can you say that?" She was trying her best to contain her sobs between words. "How could I have been so careless? How could I have been such an idiot? I'm so sorry Ichigo, I'm just- I'm sorry."

He pulled away from her, his hands resting on her shoulders and he looked into her worried eyes.

"Don't say you're sorry, you didn't do anything wrong."

"Ichigo! Rukia! We're home!" His sisters cheery voice echoed throughout the house and he cursed under his breath. He quickly gathered all of their trash and stuffed it in his school bag.

"Shit, I am gonna go distract them. Take a minute, calm down and I will see you down there." He placed the softest kiss on her lips and slipped out of the bathroom.

She turned to face the mirror and found that she couldn't bring herself to look at her reflection. She leaned her hands against either side of the sink and inhaled a deep breath and then let it out. She repeated this a few more times, until she was finally able to regain her composure. She lifted her eyes to her reflection once again and took one final deep breath.

Being a Kuchiki she was well versed in the art of not showing her emotions. She replaced her deep frown with a bright, fake smile, and made her way downstairs to join the family.


End file.
